Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College President Laura Walker announced that Shelton Walker (no relation) has been appointed to the inaugural role of Chief of Staff & Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the College. Shelton, who will assume the position on January 18, 2022, comes to Bennington from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she serves as Chief of Staff & Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.

​Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger released his “Action Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Housing as a Human Right in Burlington,” a 10-point plan that outlines a roadmap to double the rate of housing production and end chronic homelessness in our community. The Action Plan, developed in partnership with the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Office of City Planning, and Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB), begins with the premise that Burlington must redouble its efforts to combat the housing crisis. It includes investment of at least $5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds; creation of a new position in CEDO to work on this housing effort; supporting the creation of 1,250 total homes, including 312 permanently affordable homes, by the end of 2026; full funding of the Housing Trust Fund in fiscal year 2023; and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) today released a video and toolkit warning Vermonters of family imposter/emergency scams—commonly referred to as the “grandparent scam.” Imposter scams continue to be among the top scams reported by Vermonters to CAP. In 2020, the family imposter scam was the ninth most reported scam, resulting in a total loss of $88,993. Today’s video and toolkit are the second to be released in a three-part series on imposter scams.

Vermont State Police After a lengthy investigation that began more than two years ago, the Vermont State Police has arrested a suspect in connection with the Nov. 1, 2019, fatal shooting of a truck driver in Rockingham. An arrest warrant for second-degree murder was issued Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, for Dr Jozsef Piri, 49, of Naples, Florida. Deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Department assisted Vermont State Police detectives in arresting Piri on Thursday, Dec. 16. The murder charge arises from the shooting death of Roberto Fonseca-Rivera, 44, of Boston, Massachusetts, whose body was found behind the wheel of the Katsiroubas Produce truck he had been driving along Vermont Route 103 in Rockingham. Piri and Fonseca-Rivera did not know each other.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) would like to remind all farm operations that the annual winter manure spreading ban is underway. Between December 15 and April 1, no manure or other agricultural wastes (including compost and spoiled feed) may be spread on agricultural fields throughout Vermont. This annual ban is required by the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs), which is a part of VAAFM’s overall strategy to protect water quality, the working landscape, and natural resources. The ban is a regulation that has been in place since 1995. The RAPs also prohibit the application of manure or agricultural wastes on frozen, saturated or snow-covered fields outside of the winter manure spreading ban.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISUN), a Williston-based leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50-years of construction experience in solar, electrical and data services, reminds shareholders that it will convene a Special Meeting of Stockholders on Friday, December 17th at 2:00 PM EST to vote on three proposals recommended by the board to deliver greater value to shareholders.

by Peter Sterling Talk to anyone who has tried to bring renewable energy to Vermonters and they will tell you the same thing: despite our green reputation and the thousands of Vermonters who have asked for leadership to avoid the existential crisis climate change presents to humanity, our state government works every day to put the brakes on new solar energy and wind power projects. The latest example is the draft Comprehensive Energy Plan from the Vermont Department of Public Service which will guide state energy policy for the next five years.

Vermont Business Magazine After a two-month fundraising campaign, the community of St Johnsbury and the Vermont Land Trust have raised enough funds to protect Observatory Knob, a scenic 117-acre property within walking distance of downtown. The effort to protect this land, used by the community for over 100 years, got a major boost this fall when the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board awarded a $200,000 grant to acquire and protect the land.

Vermont Business Magazine Seventh Generation, a leading household, personal care and commercial cleaning products company and pioneer in the environmentally conscious products space, today announced a five-year partnership with Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), a four-mountain winter and summer destination in Colorado. Today’s travelers prioritize hygiene across the entire experience and ASC recognizes the heightened importance of trust in cleanliness at all of its properties. This is why ASC has chosen Seventh Generation Professional as the Official Front of House Cleaner and Disinfectant for Aspen Skiing Company’s four ski areas.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Nuclear Waste Policy Committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold its final regular meeting for 2021 on Monday, December 20, 2021 from 1 pm to 2 pm. This meeting will be conducted primarily as a webcast and teleconference. However, in accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, the following physical location will be available for those wishing to attend this meeting in-person:

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-five Vermont residential customers and two local Impact Investors are the proud co-owners of two, new 150 kilowatt solar projects in Norwich. The 25 local homeowners will have lower electric bills by receiving the net metering credits from the projects as offsets on their Green Mountain Power utility bills.

Vermont Business Magazine Negotiations on a new union contract between the University of Vermont Medical Center and its nurses and technical professionals fell apart late last week. The Burlington hospital said today it would leave its final offer on the table until Friday. The hospital suffered a bitter nurses strike in 2018. The hospital said it is still financially struggling because of COVID. The nurses and professionals say they are still being paid uncompetitive wages, resulting in ongoing recruitment and retention problems. The nurses contract expires this spring and the technical contract in 2023.